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Abstract
American composer Louise Talma (b. 1906), who wrote solo piano works in the neoclassical style, incorporated serial technique after 1953. Talma's solo piano works are indeed outstanding in their craftmanship, which is rooted in the musical training she received from Nadia Boulanger in France. The neoclassical principles she adopted, along with their basis in tonality, can be seen as essential in her solo piano works. Talma's eclecticism consists in the use of twelve-tone technique combined with tonal references and use of traditional forms or contrapuntal procedures. Moreover, it is also seen in her use of a rhythmic idiom which combines the qualities of Stravinskian rhythm with those of American urban rhythm.
The first chapter of the thesis contains a biographical sketch, dealing principally with Talma's musical education and early career. The second chapter discusses the influence of Nadia Boulanger and Igor Stravinsky on young American composers in the 1930s and 40s. The discussion of Talma's solo piano works is found in the third and fourth chapters. The analysis of form, melody, harmony, texture, and rhythm are discussed in connection with the early works--Alleluia in Form of Toccata, Piano Sonata No. 1--and the late works--Six Etudes, Piano Sonata No. 2, Passacaglia and Fugue, and Textures. The final chapter analyzes several aspects of performing Talma's solo piano works, such as Talma's own musical markings, along with the technical difficulties and problems.